Critical Edition
वैशंपायन उवाच स तु वाजी समुद्रान्तां पर्येत्य पृथिवीमिमाम् निवृत्तोऽभिमुखो राजन्येन नागाह्वयं पुरम्
M. N. Dutt: Vaishampayana said The (sacrificial) horse, having wandered over the entire Earth bounded by the ocean, then ceased and turned his face toward the city of Hastinapur.
अनुगच्छंश्च तेजस्वी निवृत्तोऽथ किरीटभृत् यदृच्छया समापेदे पुरं राजगृहं तदा
M. N. Dutt: Following as he did that horse, the diademdecked Arjuna also turned his face towards the Kuru capital. Wandering at is will, the horse then came to the city of Rajagriha.
तमभ्याशगतं राजा जरासंधात्मजात्मजः क्षत्रधर्मे स्थितो वीरः समरायाजुहाव ह
M. N. Dutt: Seeing him arrived within his kingdom, O monarch, the heroic of Sahadeva, following Kshatriya duties, challenged him to battle.
ततः पुरात्स निष्क्रम्य रथी धन्वी शरी तली मेघसंधिः पदातिं तं धनंजयमुपाद्रवत्
M. N. Dutt: Coming out of his city, Meghasandhi, mounted on his car and equipt with bow and arrows and leathern fence, rushed towards Dhananjaya who was on foot.
आसाद्य च महातेजा मेघसंधिर्धनंजयम् बालभावान्महाराज प्रोवाचेदं न कौशलात्
M. N. Dutt: Gifted with great energy, Meghasandhi, approaching Dhanajaya, O king, said these words from a spirit of childishness and without son any skill.
किमयं चार्यते वाजी स्त्रीमध्य इव भारत हयमेनं हरिष्यामि प्रयतस्व विमोक्षणे
M. N. Dutt: This horse of yours, O Bharata, seems to move about, protected by women only! I shall take away the horse. Do you try to free him.
अदत्तानुनयो युद्धे यदि त्वं पितृभिर्मम करिष्यामि तवातिथ्यं प्रहर प्रहरामि वा
M. N. Dutt: Although my sires did not teach you in battle, I, however, shall do the duties of hospitality to you. Do you strike me, for I shall strike you.
Supplementary Passages:
14.83.7 T1 G2 ins. after 7b: G3 after 6: *155 आर्तो ननु पुरा युद्धे T1 cont.: *156 शिल्प इत्यपि पारगः
इत्युक्तः प्रत्युवाचैनं पाण्डवः प्रहसन्निव विघ्नकर्ता मया वार्य इति मे व्रतमाहितम्
AI Translation: Thus addressed, the Pandava replied to him, smiling as it were: "I have taken a vow to obstruct you."
भ्रात्रा ज्येष्ठेन नृपते तवापि विदितं ध्रुवम् प्रहरस्व यथाशक्ति न मन्युर्विद्यते मम
AI Translation: O king, your elder brother must have told you this. Act according to your ability. I have no anger.
इत्युक्तः प्राहरत्पूर्वं पाण्डवं मगधेश्वरः किरञ्शरसहस्राणि वर्षाणीव सहस्रदृक्
M. N. Dutt: Thus addressed, the king of Magadha first struck the son of Pandu, showering his arrows on him like the thousand-eyed Indra showering a heavy downpour of rain.
ततो गाण्डीवभृच्छूरो गाण्डीवप्रेषितैः शरैः चकार मोघांस्तान्बाणानयत्नाद्भरतर्षभ
M. N. Dutt: Then, Ochief of Bharata's race, the heroic wielder of Gandiva, with arrows shot of that excellent bow, baffled all the arrows shot carefully at him by his adversary.
स मोघं तस्य बाणौघं कृत्वा वानरकेतनः शरान्मुमोच ज्वलितान्दीप्तास्यानिव पन्नगान्
M. N. Dutt: Having thus baffled that cloud of arrows, the ape-bannered hero shot a number of burning arrows at his enemy which resembled snakes with fiery mouths.
ध्वजे पताकादण्डेषु रथयन्त्रे हयेषु च अन्येषु च रथाङ्गेषु न शरीरे न सारथौ
M. N. Dutt: These arrows he shot at his flag and flagstaff and car and poles and yoke and the horses sparing the body of his-enemy and his cardriver.
संरक्ष्यमाणः पार्थेन शरीरे फल्गुनस्य ह मन्यमानः स्ववीर्यं तन्मागधः प्राहिणोच्छरान्
M. N. Dutt: Though Partha who was capable of shooting with the bow with the left-hand (as well as the right) spared the body of the king of Magadha, yet the latter, thinking that his body was protected by his own prowess, discharged many arrows at Partha.
ततो गाण्डीवभृच्छूरो मागधेन समाहतः बभौ वासन्तिक इव पलाशः पुष्पितो महान्
M. N. Dutt: The wielder of Gandiva, deeply struck by the king of Magadha, shone like a blossoming Palasha (Butea frondosa) in the season of spring.
अवध्यमानः सोऽभ्यघ्नन्मागधः पाण्डवर्षभम् तेन तस्थौ स कौरव्य लोकवीरस्य दर्शने
M. N. Dutt: Arjuna had no desire of killing the king of Magadha. It was for this that, having struck the son of Pandu, he succeeded in remaining before that foremost of heroes.
सव्यसाची तु संक्रुद्धो विकृष्य बलवद्धनुः हयांश्चकार निर्देहान्सारथेश्च शिरोऽहरत्
M. N. Dutt: Then Dhananjaya, becoming angry, drew his bow with great force, and killed his antagonist's horses and then struck off the head of his car-driver.
धनुश्चास्य महच्चित्रं क्षुरेण प्रचकर्त ह हस्तावापं पताकां च ध्वजं चास्य न्यपातयत्
M. N. Dutt: With a razor-headed arruw he then cut off Meghasandhi's large and beautiful bow, and then his leathern fence. Then cutting off his flag and flag-staff, he caused it to fall down.
स राजा व्यथितो व्यश्वो विधनुर्हतसारथिः गदामादाय कौन्तेयमभिदुद्राव वेगवान्
M. N. Dutt: The king of Magadha greatly afflicted, and deprived of horses and bow and driver, took up a mace and rushed with great speed at the son of Kunti.
तस्यापतत एवाशु गदां हेमपरिष्कृताम् शरैश्चकर्त बहुधा बहुभिर्गृध्रवाजितैः
M. N. Dutt: Arjuna, then, with many arrows of his equipt with his vulturine feathers, cut off into pieces, that mace of his advancing enemy which was adorned with bright gold.
सा गदा शकलीभूता विशीर्णमणिबन्धना व्याली निर्मुच्यमानेव पपातास्य सहस्रधा
M. N. Dutt: Thus cut off into pieces, that mace, with its jeweiled bonds and knots all severed, fell on the Earth, like a she-snake helplessly hurled down by somebody.
विरथं तं विधन्वानं गदया परिवर्जितम् नैच्छत्ताडयितुं धीमानर्जुनः समराग्रणीः
AI Translation: When he was without a chariot, without a bow, and without a mace, the wise Arjuna, the leader of the battle, did not wish to strike him.
तत एनं विमनसं क्षत्रधर्मे समास्थितम् सान्त्वपूर्वमिदं वाक्यमब्रवीत्कपिकेतनः
AI Translation: Then the lord of the monkeys, seeing him dejected and established in the duty of a kshatriya, spoke these words to him, beginning with consolation:
पर्याप्तः क्षत्रधर्मोऽयं दर्शितः पुत्र गम्यताम् बह्वेतत्समरे कर्म तव बालस्य पार्थिव
AI Translation: This is enough of the duty of a kshatriya. Show it to your son. Go. O king, this is enough of your deeds in battle. You are a child.
युधिष्ठिरस्य संदेशो न हन्तव्या नृपा इति तेन जीवसि राजंस्त्वमपराद्धोऽपि मे रणे
M. N. Dutt: The command I received from Yudhishthira was that kings who oppose me should not be killed. It is for this you live yet, O monarch, although you have offended me in battle.
इति मत्वा स चात्मानं प्रत्यादिष्टं स्म मागधः तथ्यमित्यवगम्यैनं प्राञ्जलिः प्रत्यपूजयत्
M. N. Dutt: Thus addressed, the king of Magadha considered himself defeated and spared. Thinking then that it was his duty to do so, he approached Arjuna and joining his hands in respect adored him.
Supplementary Passages:
14.83.26 After 26, K1.5 D2-6 ins.: *157 पराजितोऽस्मि भद्रं ते नाहं योद्धुमिहोत्सहे यच्च कृत्यं मया तेऽद्य तद्ब्रूहि कृतमेव तु
तमर्जुनः समाश्वास्य पुनरेवेदमब्रवीत् आगन्तव्यं परां चैत्रीमश्वमेधे नृपस्य नः
M. N. Dutt: Comforting him again, Arjuna once more said to him. You should go to the HorseSacrifice of our king which takes place at the coming full moon of Chaitra.
इत्युक्तः स तथेत्युक्त्वा पूजयामास तं हयम् फल्गुनं च युधां श्रेष्ठं विधिवत्सहदेवजः
M. N. Dutt: Thus addressed by him, the son of Sahadeva said, So be it, and then duly adored that horse as also Phalguna, that foremost of warriors.
ततो यथेष्टमगमत्पुनरेव स केसरी ततः समुद्रतीरेण वङ्गान्पुण्ड्रान्सकेरलान्
M. N. Dutt: The sacrificial horse then, having beautiful manes, proceeded at his will along the seacoast, going to the countries of the Bangas, the Pundras, and the Kosalas.
तत्र तत्र च भूरीणि म्लेच्छसैन्यान्यनेकशः विजिग्ये धनुषा राजन्गाण्डीवेन धनंजयः
M. N. Dutt: In those kingdoms Dhananjaya, with his bow Gandiva, O king, defeated numberless Mleccha armies one after another.